Tim Atkinson's Blog, page 89

November 16, 2011

Volvo Breaking Dawn Competition

Not only can you win a Volvo S-60 R-Design like the one driven by Edward in the film 'Breaking Dawn' but you could also win a trip to Rio!






Good luck!
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Published on November 16, 2011 22:08

November 14, 2011

World Diabetes Day

That's today - November 14th. And they're aiming to raise awareness of Type 2 Diabetes and how it can be prevented through healthy eating by (among other things) putting me on a diet.



I've never really given that much thought to what I eat. And I've certainly never been on any kind of diet at all, ever. Like many people, I'm vaguely aware of what counts as healthy - five-a-day, cut down on fats, reduce salt, that kind of thing - and do it when I can. Having a family, of course, obliges you to put something healthy on their plates and we don't do ready meals at all or take-aways too often. But other than that, as I say, I don't really give my own intake much consideration.



But I should. Type 2 Diabetes develops through diet and can be just as easily prevented. So as an extension of Tesco's 'lbs for £s' campaign (promising to turn every lb you lose into £1 for Diabetes UK) I'm being given a weekly sit-down with one of their nutritionists as well as membership of Tesco Diets - a dedicated service offering information on nutrition and healthy eating linked to a range of specially-prepared menu options.



The idea is - you sign up, you answer some questions (age, height, weight, lifestyle etc.) and they provide you with appropriate menus for the week plus a shopping list of ingredients. You don't have to, but you can even link to Tesco Direct and have it delivered to your door.



I was pleased to see that breakfast this morning was a BLT (low fat bacon, wholemeal bread - the latter most certainly not fried - but still... a bacon sarnie). That's certainly a good start. And the link from menu to shopping list is perfect for a supermarket browser such as me. I'm afraid I tend to buy first and look in recipe books after (if at all). And while nobody's complaining, our family meals are stuck in a bit of a predictable cycle.



So today for lunch (instead of, *ahem* Pot Noodle) I'll be having a bagel (for the first time in my life) with cream cheese and smoked salmon and tonight... well, tonight's menu is chickpea stew which, frankly, may not be happening. I'm subbing a healthy roast chicken for the family instead (lots of carrots and broccoli) but that kind of thing's allowed. Oh, and there'll be some wine for my ticker, just in case.



If I'm honest, I thought that following a menu would be tedious; the idea of it has always put me off. But as I look ahead to the week's meal (family-friendly fish casserole tomorrow evening, beef curry on Wednesday, sausage sandwich for breakfast on Thursday) I'm actually quite inspired. Even better, I know I've got all the ingredients.



What could be simpler, eh? Well, sticking to it, I suppose. I've signed up for the next three weeks and - at the moment - things are going well.



As they do when the diet starts with a bacon butty.





But then, it's early days.












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Published on November 14, 2011 08:42

November 11, 2011

For the Fallen

Robert Laurence Binyon isn't a name we'd probably be familiar with if it wasn't for the now ubiquitous remembrance ode, For the Fallen. Even then, most people are only familiar with those famous lines from the final verse...





They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.At the going down of the sun and in the morning,We will remember them.



And although it's taken for granted that the words refer to all the dead of the two World Wars - indeed, all the dead on every side of all wars - Binyon wrote his seven-verse poem in memory as early as 1914 in memory of the then ten thousand British causalities.



But it's the first line that has always fascinated me. The oft recited They shall NOT grow old is worlds away in terms of meaning and I've always cringed when some Churchman or other worthy has bowdlerised the line in a remembrance reading. Binyon's original is unusual, sure; we might think he's made an error but he hasn't. The dead will continue to grow, as they do year on year, not only in terms of the ever-increasing casuality figures from subsequent wars and conflicts but also from our yearly public and private remembrance. They grow in stature, is respect and in the honour and gratitude we increasingly owe. But they 'grow not' old.



I was a little shocked to find that when Elgar set the words to music he actually seems to have got these words the wrong way round. He worked closely with Binyon - whose boss at the British Museum had suggested it - on the setting so perhaps the poet approved or even suggested it as a legitimate alternative. I'd love to know what the reasons were. Because, for me, it must be 'grow not'.



But then Elgar's setting is so sublime, so moving and so memorable, I can forgive him anything.
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Published on November 11, 2011 09:37

November 9, 2011

It'll put hairs on your chest

The continuing exploration of children's aversion to green foodstuffs and the quest to find new and exciting ways to encourage them to eat more veg continues. Don't forget to leave your tips here to be in with a chance of winning an Abel & Cole veg box. You have until November 14th.



Today's topic is the strange things we parents say to encourage kids to eat their greens. Things like the title of this post and other rather unscientific assertions. There is science - science aplenty and you can read all about it over on the Green Giant Facebook page but why do we persist in such old saws as, 'It'll make your hair curl' (hair seems to be a recurring theme) or 'They'll make you see in the dark'?



A quick Twitter poll also revealed such pearls of wisdom as, 'It'll give you muscles like Popeye' (spinach, obviously); 'You'll become the gentle (or sometimes, green) giant' (sweetcorn - and appropriate as I'm writing this post on behalf of Green Giant); 'For every sprout you don't eat a fairy dies' (gruesome!); 'Runner beans will make you run faster' and even, 'Cabbage protects you from goblins'.



Less credibly, some tweeps suggested that by eating your greens: 'you'll be able to generate your own wifi...' (unlikely, I feel - but no  more so than any of the others, surely?) or that, 'your hair will be able to see in the dark.' (Thanks Professor Bill Herbert for those two).



Other saws such as 'an apple a day' extended the theme to fruit, there was a neat bit of reverse psychology by someone who actually tells his children off for eating veg and a mum who told her 6-year-old that wholemeal bread was brown because it has chocolate in it.



Now I know as grown-ups we feed our children some stuff and nonsense (there's a big fat fellow with a long white beard about to hit the toy shops) but really - what's wrong with a simple 'Eat it up - it's good for you?' Or even, 'Eat it up because I say so'?



Never did me any harm.



And thanks to the following tweeps for their suggestions: Gemma, Catharine, GlitterUnicorn, John, Ruth, Pamela, Olly, Heidi, Laura, Pippa, Victoria, LucyIrritated Housewife and AConfusedTakeThatFan.





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Published on November 09, 2011 10:01

November 7, 2011

The Neato XV15

That's a 'robotic all-floor vacuum system' for the uninitiated. Or 'Robot Vac' for short.



I don't know what it is about this blog and vacuum cleaners. I've been sent several to review (in spite of being rude about this one) and still they come. Do they think I like vacuum cleaning? Well, maybe not in the case of the Neato XV15, because it does it for you. It wanders round the house rather like a sweet little electronic dog. And not only are its environmental credentials better (did you know owning a dog does more harm to the planet than owning a car?) instead of making mess it cleans it up. Beautifully. Just look at this...







Like the Daleks it doesn't do stairs, but that's about the only limitation I found. Apart from the fact that the company wanted the blessed thing back after far too short a trial. I mean, how could you? Of all the things I've been asked to test in the course of writing this blog, this is one I covet most. But at an eye-watering £399 (and that's on Amazon) it's back to the Dyson for me I'm afraid.



Unless there are any generous benefactors out there with a cool 400 quid to spare.



After all, it's doing no good in the bank these days, is it?
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Published on November 07, 2011 09:59

The Neato XV11

That's a 'robotic all-floor vacuum system' for the uninitiated. Or 'Robot Vac' for short.



I don't know what it is about this blog and vacuum cleaners. I've been sent several to review (in spite of being rude about this one) and still they come. Do they think I like vacuum cleaning? Well, maybe not in the case of the Neato XV11, because it does it for you. It wanders round the house rather like a sweet little electronic dog. And not only are it's environmental credentials better (did you know owning a dog does more harm to the planet than owning a car?) instead of making mess it cleans it up. Beautifully. Just look at this...








Like the Daleks it doesn't do stairs, but that's about the only limitation I found. Apart from the fact that the company wanted the blessed thing back after far too short a trial. I mean, how could you? Of all the things I've been asked to test in the course of writing this blog, this is one I covet most. But at an eye-watering £399 (and that's on Amazon) it's back to the Dyson for me I'm afraid.



Unless there are any generous benefactors out there with 400 quid to spare.



After all, it's doing no good in the bank these days, is it?
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Published on November 07, 2011 09:59

November 4, 2011

Does being a stay-at-home dad make you less of a man?

I've been listening to this again - a recording of an item on Victoria Derbyshire's Radio5 Live show that I took part in. The reason isn't narcissism (well, not totally) but another interview I've just done - this time for a newspaper feature - which has set me thinking about the question all over again.

















Does being a 'stay-at-home dad' make you less of a man? by dotterel




This is a blog about a stay-at-home dad. One who has always felt fine in his own skin, not worried unduly about his identity, been ok with his own brand of masculinity. I've done this job - the stay-at-home dad bit - for three years now. But it's only recently I've thought seriously about this question.



Ok, I've been something of a curiosity at times. I was once invited to the local breastfeeding support group ('if you feel it would be useful') by a lovely lady who I think felt sorry for me - lone dad among a group of mums talking about something he couldn't really comment on. That was then, of course. Now, I can and do comment - and in writing. I've written an entire book on the subject (just in case anyone has missed it!) And I'm no longer 'lone dad'. I've made some good friends among the other mums; but there are also more dads around taking their kids to toddler groups. I'm no longer in a minority (locally) of one.



Of course, being something of a one-off can be advantageous and I can't say I haven't enjoyed some of the attention. But if I'm honest, I've always had this nagging feeling that - vital as it is, important as I know it to be and as enjoyable as I find being at home with the children - it wasn't, well, 'me'. At least, not all of me.



How we define ourselves is a complex issue and no doubt stay-at-home mums have known about this problem all along. But it's taken me some time to appreciate that the other part of my day-to-day existence - writing - is a useful cover. I can tell people that's what I do (a bit like Andrew Watson, the other guest on the programme) instead of own up to being nothing but a house husband. Because that does carry with it certain negative connotations - 'kept' man (I'd like to add 'toy boy' but age prevents me) and so on. The expectation is that I should be out there hunting, bringing home the bacon and then going to watch the football and having a beer. And this expectation isn't confined to men, either. So, with my sensitive antennae tuned to perfection, I pick up on the negative vibes and change my definition -of myself - according to the person I'm addressing.



Thus I'm sometimes Tim Atkinson, stay-at-home dad; sometimes Tim Atkinson, author; sometimes both.



But why can't I simply be 'me'?
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Published on November 04, 2011 10:50

November 3, 2011

Visit Finland

Well, why not? It's cold, yes. But you've got spectacular scenery day and night. Aurora Borealis anyone? Oh, and Heather @notesfromlapland lives there.



What are you waiting for?



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Published on November 03, 2011 09:16

November 2, 2011

More on our feathered friends

So, how did you get do on Feed the Birds Day last Saturday? Attract plenty, did you? Even encourage the odd rarity (and I'm not talking about Bill Oddie)?



Well I hope so. And I hope you'll continue to do so too. Feed them, that is. The birds. Because, let's face it, they have a pretty rough time of it, don't they? All that living in trees (I know, I know, they don't all live in trees) all year long, scrambling about for scraps, avoiding cats and singing their little hearts out every spring. I know that glorious song translates as something rather threatening (hey, this is my patch - gerrof!) but it's so beautiful to hear. Personally, I'm always rather bereft when - in late July - that early morning musical medley ceases for the best part of another year.



Anyway, if you did make your bird feeder at the weekend, don't forget to keep it topped up. And, well - you never know, from small acorns and all that - you might just find you've given your kids a taste for ornithology. And if you have you'll probably need to expand your wildlife repertory pretty soon and start encouraging all manner of other creatures.



In which case, this video is for you. It's sponsored by Jordans and contains ten tips for creating the perfect homes for wildlife in your own back garden. It's so easy; but so important. And for children, it's so utterly fascinating.



  
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Published on November 02, 2011 10:26

October 31, 2011

Children and alcohol

A study revealed yesterday that children as young as 12 are drinking more than the government's recommended daily allowance for adults. As a parent, I find this frightening; as a teacher, not all that surprising. Forbidden fruit will always have a certain fascination; you've only got to count the number of children trying to smoke cigarettes on the way to school each day to see the proof of that.



But the problem with alcohol seems to run deeper; it's almost a matter of national character. I forget which Roman historian wrote - before the invasion of Britain - that the natives of this island were all 'amiable, pot-bellied and drunk' but it shows that our love of alcohol isn't something new. And after the ancient Britons, of course, came the Germans (and Belgians) to say nothing of the Danes. And I've always been fascinated - as well as horrified - by the Anglo-Saxon attitude of drinking to get drunk: necking vodka (which tastes of nothing) and drinking super-strength (and super-sweet) garbage which does taste of something, just not the kind of something that you'd choose to taste if you had any kind of choice. I've always admired the civilised continentals with their wine on the table and even - and in front of the children, egad! -a beer with your Big Mac.



But who am I kidding? Rates of cirrhosis are frighteningly high in France; the culture of beer in Belgium and Germany is legendary; and what about me? Am I setting the civilised example I admire?



Well, looking at the (empty) Henry Weston's bottle from last night I think I can claim to drink responsibly. I don't get drunk or vomit up my supper on the pavement. On the other hand, my children see me - us (but mainly me) - drinking regularly. And probably not - as the other empty bottle, the one that had a rather pleasant Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc in it at lunchtime - sensibly.



You see, I don't really keep a tally. I do have a couple of days off each week (as recommended by the Royal College of Physicians) but I rather fear I'm adding plenty to the weekly total on units. Am I setting my children a bad example? Well of course, I hope not. I hope, at least, we can have a sensible discussion about it. And it most definitely isn't 'off limits'. There's no forbidden fruit lying temptingly in cupboards, 'cos the bottles are all empty (only joking). Booze is part of life here, but just a part; we can (and do) enjoy ourselves without it.



But I'm still worried. Those figures, in that report - they are quite shocking.



So what do you think is the main cause of the problem? And what - if anything - is the solution?





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Published on October 31, 2011 10:40